We recently returned from a 9-day vacation in one of our favorite vacation spots: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Aside from Puerto Vallarta being a great beach location, there are other charming things about it that keeps us coming back to experience more of what it has to offer us.
Keep reading to find out why we love visiting Puerto
Vallarta, Mexico. You just may find yourself falling in-love with it just like
we have.
1. It’s Safe
One
of the major reasons we love Puerto Vallarta is because it’s probably one of
the safest places we’ve visited outside of the U.S. We’ve never felt unsafe
walking around during the day or at night.
In fact, it’s been deemed one of the safest destinations in Mexico.
That’s surprising since the media portrays all of Mexico as being
dangerous. Mexico is huge with many different states, and this particular part of the State of Jalisco hasn't proven to be anything other than safe for us.
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| Taco stand we visited late at night |
2. The Food
Puerto
Vallarta has some of the best culinary experiences we’ve had, and it’s
affordable. We love having a romantic dinner on the beach at La Palapa.
Watching the sunset while having wine and tapas at Barcelona Tapas. My husband
loves his steaks, and what better place to have a nice prime rib than at
Añejo Limon. Picking up authentic Mexican tacos from the street vendors is a must,
and having a fish or shrimp burrito from Tacon De Marlin is a must, and will
only cost you $5.95 US.
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| Sea Bass and Shrimp Burrito $95 pesos |
3. The People
Puerto
Vallarta natives are friendly. We’ve had
people help us catch a taxi. Locals were helpful in directing us to the best
spots to eat and drink. And we always seem to leave Puerto Vallarta with a new friend. This time, we met Ulises, our taxi driver who
drove us to Punta de Mita and San Sebastian on an affordable day trip. He
stopped at the best local eateries in these places, and when it was time to
leave, he met us with gifts to bring back to the U.S.: brownies from Pie in theSky and an assortment of Mexican Tamales.
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| My husband and Ulises stopping to take in the view of the mountains & river below |
4. The Scenery
One
of our favorite parts of Puerto Vallarta are the beautiful views of Banderas
Bay we have from walking the Malecon, or while driving through the mountains,
or from the balcony of our rental condo in Conchas Chinas. Traditional Mexican buildings blend with
modern and abstract designs, while palm trees and exotic flowers grow
abundantly on its cobble-stoned streets.
5. The ease of getting around
Getting
around Puerto Vallarta, whether it’s via a bus, taxi or even walking is not
only easy, but also affordable. A bus from the Puerto Vallarta Zoo or Botanical Gardens Conchas Chinas is about $18-20 Pesos ($1USD) Take a taxi and depending on how
well you can haggle, it will only cost between $5 and $8.
6. It’s Great for Families and Couples
The
Malecon, which is the boardwalk, is the heart and soul of the town. Weekends strolling the Malecon, especially at
night where locals and tourists with their families come to enjoy the many
vendors offering art, souvenirs, balloons, toys, drinks and food. There’s shows
and music at the amphitheater. It’s quite fun, and romantic, too. There's also the zoo to visit.
7. The
Beaches
Puerto
Vallarta has beautiful beaches. Our favorite beach is Conchas Chinas, since
it’s so convenient since it’s easily accessible from our rental condo. The
water is pristine blue, warm and the beach offers great views of Los Arcos.
Playa La Manzanilla located in Punta de Mita is beautiful. The water is not as blue; however,
the fine sand, calm and warm waters combined with the freshly made margaritas and food make it great for a
relaxing beach day.
relaxing beach day.
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| Playa La Manzanilla |
8. The Culture and History
Our
family loves learning about various cultures and learning the history of places
we visit, which it was important to us that during this trip we finally made
the two hour drive into the rural village of San Sebastián del Oeste. It’s a beautiful village nestled among pine
trees in the Sierra Madre Mountains. It’s here where you can get a feel for
colonial Mexico at the 400-year-old former New Spain mining capital. They have
a small museum, and a great bakery with delicious pastries using the freshest
ingredients. While there, the bakery
owner gave us a bag full of guava he’d picked earlier in the day. Oh, and their
conchas were amazing!
Bonus: Kinder Surprise Eggs are sold in Mexico.
The next time you’re planning your vacation, consider taking
a trip to Puerto Vallarta. I’m sure you will not regret it.